Internet freedom is not something to be taken lightly, as anyone who has tried to gain access to forbidden sites in China will tell you. The countries that would like to censor Internet content, including Russia, China, Iran and others, were eager to see their authority to do so etched into a United Nations treaty debated at a conference last month in Dubai. Read the rest of this entry »

The transcript: The US has lots of troubles dealing with other nations as they haven’t come to grips with the new global reality, Venezuelan Vice-President Nicolas Maduro told RT in an exclusive interview. He also spoke about the health of President Chavez … //Read the rest of this entry »

Ian Lavery’s speech in parliament on blacklisting (abridged from Hansard) – Published on Socialist UNITY, by Andy Newman, January 24, 2013.

… We are all very much aware of the information being discussed by the Scottish Affairs Committee. To be honest, I think it has been invaluable, because it has brought the issue to the forefront. For many years it has been hidden, but for the first time we now have real evidence…. Some 3,600 files were seized by the Information Commissioner’s Office—files on politicians, academics, journalists, trade unionists and people who might just say,“Boo!” to their employers, who might not like it. Read the rest of this entry »

After World War II, dozens of Nazi criminals went into hiding in South America. A new study reveals how a ‘coalition of the unwilling’ on both sides of the Atlantic successfully stymied efforts to hunt and prosecute these criminals for decades.

All it took was a transposed number — 1974 instead of 1947 — for Gustav Wagner to be allowed to stay in Brazil. It was a mere slip of the pen by the man who had translated the German document into Portuguese that prompted Brazil’s supreme court to deny West Germany’s request to extradite the former SS officer. And yet Wagner stood accused of complicity in the murders of 152,000 Jews at the Sobibor extermination camp in German-occupied Poland. Read the rest of this entry »

Who is Behind the Terrorists? – Published on Global Research.ca, by Prof Michel Chossudovsky, January 21, 2013.

… The operation was coordinated by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, leader of the Al Qaeda affiliated Islamist al-Mulathameen (Masked) Brigade, or “Those who Sign with Blood.”

Belmokhtar’s organization has been involved in the drug trade, smuggling as well kidnapping operations of foreigners in North Africa. While his whereabouts are known, French intelligence has dubbed Belmokhtar “the uncatchable”. Read the rest of this entry »

Global Economic Collapse Explained, 7.27 min, by Goldman Sachs CEO, Senator Alan Simpson, and Erskine Bowles,
uploaded by youniquegoldman, January 12, 2013: Learn more about our economy, gold and silver, the coming financial collapse and wealth creation strategies. People often ask me ‘what do you do? I helping people to create their ideal lifestyle-with time and financial freedom. Something what their job will never provide …; Read the rest of this entry »

The enormous wels catfish is rapidly expanding in German waters. The fish can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 300 pounds, making recreational fishermen excited about the prospects of catching one. While biologists aren’t yet calling the fish pests, they are puzzled by the boom … //Read the rest of this entry »

When Reddit co-founder and internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz committed suicide (last Friday = Jan. 11), he was facing up to 13 felony counts, 50 years in prison, and millions of dollars in fines. His alleged crime? Pulling millions of academic articles from the digital archive JSTOR. Read the rest of this entry »

Bit rich calling it New’ Criminology – since the term hails from the 1970s – but anyway, my enhanced podcast on the topic – You may also know it is as ‘The Neo-Marxist Perspective on Crime’ or ‘Radical Criminology’.

This is really for A2 Sociology students studying crime and deviance. Enjoy the enthusiasm in my voice.

The Socialist Workers’ Party, for those who aren’t familiar with it already, is a political organisation of several thousand members which has been a prominent force on the British left for more than 30 years. Read the rest of this entry »

… This isn’t a post about intellectual property rights, so I’ll merely present an example of the good that Swartz’s vision can do. As is well known, Swartz wrote the spec for RSS (Really Simple Syndication). At age 14. And so:

Published on AlJazeera, by Hashem Ahelbarra (a roving Middle East correspondent for Al Jazeera English), January 13, 2013.

The latest gains made by the rebels in Taftanaz military airbase highlight a new strategy: the rebels are going after targets where the potential for substantial capture of weapons and ammunitions is high, a move not without risks though. Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Walli, Sister Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed knew they were risking prison when they staged a daring July, 2012 peace demonstration at a Tennessee nuclear facility. Now, their prospects for lengthy sentences have increased after government prosecutors added a new charge and a U.S. magistrate judge rejected a request for dismissal. Read the rest of this entry »

Once derided as an eccentricity of the environmental movement, the recent economic crisis has helped transform the sharing economy from a niche trend to a full-scale phenomenon. In the coming years, sharing cars, bikes and even clothing may become as viable as buying. Read the rest of this entry »

In the Northwest (of USA), at the terminals on the Columbia River, Puget Sound, and Portland, Oregon, the membership of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union ILWU are on the defensive against the Northwest Grain Handlers Association (NWGHA). The conflict involves nearly 3,000 workers at terminals that handle a quarter of the nation’s grain exports. Read the rest of this entry »

… Lenin says that all workers who have struggled against the exploiting class, who have been on strike, who have fought for greater benefits, have had the experience not only of victories but of bitter defeats when they have had to admit defeat or accept a partial victory and compromise “with the hated oppressors.” Read the rest of this entry »

Published on New Left Project, Maeve Mckeown interviews Anthony Arnove, Jan 1, 2013.

The People Speak is a compendium of speeches, stories, letters and songs that express radical dissent throughout British history. The People Speak project first appeared in the USA, cofounded by historian and activist Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove. Following the success of the US book and film, Arnove embarked on a UK version, working with actor Colin Firth and historian David Horspool. The book spans British history from 1066 to the present, covering conflicts as diverse as republicanism, struggles against English colonialism, suffrage, race, class, workers’ rights, and gender and sexual equality. Here Anthony discusses the aims of the book, the writing process and what is next for the project … //Read the rest of this entry »

hopefully you find the time for these few minutes – Published on YouTube in several languages

Ken Robinson – RSA Animate – Changing Education Paradigms:

in english only, 11.41 min, uploaded by theRSAorg, Oct. 14, 2010: This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA’s Benjamin Franklin award; Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Colleagues and friends, A year ago this week the UN General Assembly passed the Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. This landmark document was supported by our own countries and endorses the right of every person “to know, see and receive information about all human rights and fundamental freedoms and should have access to human rights education and training” (Article 1, para 1). The Declaration also calls upon governments to incorporate within their treaty reports references to relevant human rights education that is carried out. Read the rest of this entry »

The History of America’s Death Squads – Death Squads in Iraq and Syria: The Historical Roots of US-NATO’s Covert War on Syria – Published on Global Research.ca, by Michel Chossudovsky, January 4, 2013.

The recruitment of death squads is part of a well established US military-intelligence agenda. There is a long and gruesome US history of covert funding and support of terror brigades and targeted assassinations going back to the Vietnam war. Read the rest of this entry »

Is It Aimed At Scuttling Food Self-Sufficiency And Paving Way For Food Imports? – Published on ZNet, by Devinder Sharma, January 01, 2013.

Some weeks back, I was participating in a panel discussion on cash transfers on an Indian TV channel. While the discussion wheeled around the merits and demerits of cash transfers, I think the anchor was taken by surprise when I said that cash transfer is in effect a ‘cash-for-vote’ programme. I had supported my argument with a World Bank study for Latin America, and I found the entire focus of the discussion thereafter shifting to whether the real intention behind the aggressive push for cash transfers is aimed at the 2014 elections. Read the rest of this entry »

Published on Russia Today RT, January 2, 2013: Live from the brand new central studio in Moscow, RT broadcasting has kicked off 2013 by talking to prominent opinion makers about the upcoming New Year events and issues.

During RT’s first broadcast in 2013 Anissa Naouai, Kevin Owen and Rory Suchet have discussed pressing topics of the outgoing year and what effect, if any, it will have in 2013. American and European economic worries as well as US gun politics, but also the Russian opposition movement, were commented on by RT’s guests. Read the rest of this entry »